Dutch Entertainment Awards 2026: Winners & Highlights

If you've been keeping up with the Dutch entertainment scene this month, you already know it's been a busy awards season. The Dutch entertainment awards 2026 delivered two big moments just days apart: the Gouden Kalveren honoring the best of Dutch film on October 2, and the Gouden Televizier-Ring Gala lighting up Amsterdam on October 8. I've followed both ceremonies closely, and honestly, this year had more surprises than usual. Let me walk you through the winners and the moments everyone is still talking about.

Gouden Kalveren 2026: Truly Naked Takes Best Film

The 46th Nederlands Film Festival wrapped up in Utrecht with the traditional Gouden Kalveren (Golden Calves) gala at the Stadsschouwburg around October 2, and it was a night that belonged to director and screenwriter Muriel d'Ansembourg. Her film Truly Naked won Beste Speelfilm (Best Film), and she personally picked up two more calves for directing and writing it. That's the kind of sweep that defines a career.

The acting prizes went to fresh and familiar faces alike. Daan Buringa took Best Lead Actor in a feature film for Joe Speedboot, while Thor Braun won Best Supporting Actor for Downtown. On the documentary side, Mijn woord tegen het mijne by Maasja Ooms and Willemijn Cerutti won Best Long Documentary. The music calf went to Spinvis for Toutes Directions — if you don't know his work, the award is a good reason to start.

Television had its own big winner at the film festival too. The drama series BASTA collected three calves: best drama series, best lead actor for Chris Peters, and best director for Remy van Heugten. And the audience had its say as well — the public prize for feature film went to Voor de Meisjes by Mike van Diem, while the documentary audience prize went to Mama'ku – Van Jakarta tot de Molukken. Halina Reijn received the Gouden Kalf for film culture, honoring her broader contribution to Dutch cinema.

If you're into Dutch screen work generally, my rundown of what's new on Netflix Netherlands with Dutch stars is a good next watch-list to pair with these winners.

Gouden Televizier-Ring Gala 2026: De Bondgenoten Stuns the Vote

Just six days after the film calves, Dutch television celebrated its 75th anniversary in style at the 61st Gouden Televizier-Ring Gala in the Koninklijk Theater Carré, Amsterdam, hosted by Jan Smit and Peter Pannekoek. And the biggest prize — the Gouden Televizier-Ring itself, voted by the audience — went to De Bondgenoten, the SBS6 reality game show that's only been on air since 2023. It beat Kassa and Woeste Grond, which is no small feat for a show on its first nomination.

The man of the evening was Jan Versteegh, who not only accepted the ring for De Bondgenoten but also personally won the Televizier-Ring for Best Presenter — a genuine double win. Annet Malherbe won Best Actor for her role in Omroep MAX's Rust & Vreugd, and Daan Alferink won the Talent ring, dedicating it to LGBTQ+ teenagers in one of the night's most quoted speeches.

The other categories spread the love around. Bij Andy in de Auto (Andy van der Meijde) won best online video series, and PaardenpraatTV with Britt Dekker took the youth prize. But the emotional peak of the night was the Oeuvre-Ring for 84-year-old Joop van den Ende, who received a standing ovation along with video messages from John de Mol, André van Duin and others. Few people have shaped Dutch television like he has, and the room clearly knew it.

Curious what's actually worth watching after all these TV prizes? Check my guide to the new Dutch TV shows of October 2026 and their casts.

March 2026: The Music Awards Roundup

The film and TV galas may be the freshest headlines, but 2026's music awards season — back in March — set the tone for the year. The two big ceremonies are the Edison Pop awards (the "Dutch Grammys," running since 1960 with a professional jury) and the public-voted 3FM Awards, and a few names dominated both.

At the Edison Pop ceremony in the AFAS Theater in Leusden, Frenna's ZAZAA won Best Single, and Sef's lieve monsters won Best Album. DI-RECT picked up the Oeuvreprijs (career award), while Samuel Welten pulled off a double win as Best Newcomer and in the Hollandse category with Echte liefde is te koop. Roxy Dekker won the Pop category — her third Edison in a row — and Kensington won Best Rock for First Rodeo, their first with new singer Jason Dowd. The genre prizes went to Bente (Nederlandstalig), CHO (Hiphop), Froukje & S10 (Alternative), and Jonna Fraser (Soul/R&B/Funk). In jazz and world music, Fatoumata Diawara won an Edison World/Jazz award.

The 3FM Awards, held March 3 at TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, told a similar story with a public vote behind it. Roxy Dekker won both Best Artist and Best Song for Loser, and Sef's lieve monsters took Best Album again. DI-RECT won Best Group, newcomer Def took Best Newcomer, and LUNA & Russo's Voorbestemd won Best Collaboration. The Best Live Moment went to Suzan & Freek for their Concert at SEA performance — made especially poignant after Freek's terminal illness announcement — and Kensington's A Moment won the Schaal van Rigter.

What I find interesting is how much the jury and the public agreed this year: Sef's album and Roxy Dekker's streak ran straight through both ceremonies. When that happens, you know it's not just hype. For more on what these artists are up to now, see my piece on Dutch music stars' new albums and tour announcements.

What This Year's Winners Tell Us

A few patterns stand out across the 2026 Dutch awards. First, the jury prizes and audience prizes mostly told the same story — Truly Naked and De Bondgenoten won on merit and on popularity. Second, reality television is no longer the underdog category: a first-time nominee beat two established favorites for the biggest TV prize of the year. And third, Dutch music is in a strong cycle, with artists like Roxy Dekker and Sef dominating across both major award shows.

One note of honesty: I couldn't find confirmed 2026 winners for the Qmusic Top 40 Awards — only nominations had been announced, so I'm not listing any. If that changes, I'll update this roundup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the Gouden Kalf for Best Film 2026?

Truly Naked won Best Film (Beste Speelfilm) at the 46th Nederlands Film Festival in Utrecht. D'Ansembourg also won the calves for directing and screenwriting for the same film, making it the night's biggest success.

Who won the Gouden Televizier-Ring 2026?

De Bondgenoten, the SBS6 reality game show, won the Gouden Televizier-Ring 2026 — the audience-voted prize for the best Dutch TV program of the year. It beat Kassa and Woeste Grond at the gala in Amsterdam's Carré theater on October 8.

Which Dutch TV personality won two Televizier-Rings in 2026?

Jan Versteegh had a double win: he accepted the Gouden Televizier-Ring on behalf of De Bondgenoten and also personally won the Televizier-Ring for Best Presenter at the October 8 gala.

What are the biggest Dutch music awards?

The Edison awards (established in 1960, decided by a professional jury) are considered the "Dutch Grammys," while the 3FM Awards are the public-voted pop awards. In 2026, both agreed on several winners, including Sef's album lieve monsters for Best Album.

About the Author

Sidra Salman is the founder of Dutch Stars Daily, where she writes practical, research-backed guides on Dutch celebrities and entertainment news. Every guide is tested and written in plain English for a US audience.